I know its been quite awhile since my last post in April. The past 4 mos have been a whirlwind of finalizing things, exploring, heartfelt goodbyes and long awaited hellos. In May & June finished  my Fulbright research and presented it to the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria as well as the Bulgarian National Commission for […]
Since arriving here in Bulgaria I have strayed away from talking about the issue of human trafficking for sexual exploitation on my blog mainly because I do research and speak to people who work with victims on a daily basis. I wanted my blog to be a place where I could share more about cultural […]
What are you doing February 14th? I originally thought I’d be playing my usually single girl routine of moping and watching chick flicks while eating lots of Valentine’s Day chocolate. But, then I remembered I’m in Bulgaria – where the greeting card & chocolate industry have not yet taken hold and commercialized St. Valentine. What’s […]
In Bulgaria this time each year a festival referred to a Kukeri is held to ward off evil spirits during the winter season. Its very much like Carnivale which is celebrated in many other countries around the world, but with a Balkan twist. Adults and children who participate in the traditions of the festival will […]
I returned home yesterday afternoon, after what I considered to be a very productive day of errands. I had paid my rent for the next 3 mos, met with an attorney who helped file paperwork to extend my Visa and get a Lichna Carta or Bulgarian Residence Card for Foreigners, and I did some grocery […]
I just took out 400 BGN (aka. Leva)Â from the local ATM machine here in Sofia. This would be my 5th consecutive cash withdrawal in 5 days. Why you might ask am I taking out so much cash? Well, it’s to pay my rent, which I do every three months. One of the fun things […]